Author: parliamentaryunit

Trade Bill: Bishop of St Albans supports amendment on protection of children online

On 6th January 2021, the Bishop of St Albans spoke during a debate on the Trade Bill, supporting an amendment aimed at protecting children on online and digital platforms:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I will speak briefly in support of Amendment 23. The Government’s proposed online harms Bill will provide a welcome framework to protect the most vulnerable from exposure to dangerous content by placing the burden of responsibility on social media companies. This crucial legislation will better equip Britain to deal with the digital age.

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Votes: Trade Bill

On 6th January 2021, the House of Lords debated the Trade Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part:

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Bishop of Rochester asks about support for charities working in local communities

The Bishop of Rochester asked a question on support for smaller charities on 6th January 2021, during a discussion on financial support for religious groups during the COVID-19 pandemic:

The Lord Bishop of Rochester: I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord McCrea, as his Question enables me to acknowledge with thanks to the support which has been received by religious groups and charities, not least through the furlough arrangements, which have been a considerable help for many of them. However, in looking to the future, I join others in urging Her Majesty’s Government to keep particularly in mind the needs of smaller charities, which are often religious, community and locally based in character, whose work with young people, the homeless, those in debt, the elderly and other groups has been growing in this time, while their voluntary income has often been diminishing. Perhaps I can tempt the Minister by suggesting that Her Majesty’s Government might consider using their new-found freedoms to exchange the current scheme, whereby VAT is reimbursed on works relating to listed places of worship, for one where it is not charged in the first place.

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Domestic Abuse Bill: Bishop of London urges measures to strengthen legislation

The Bishop of London spoke in a debate on the Domestic Abuse Bill on 5th January 2021, welcoming the bill while emphasising the need for legislation to go further in combatting domestic abuse:

The Lord Bishop of London [V]: My Lords, I will add my voice to those who have already welcomed this Bill while also, in the brief time I have, suggesting that still more could be done to strengthen it further. The legislation is long overdue. As others have mentioned, we know that the pandemic has only exacerbated an already dire situation that leaves far too many survivors of abuse without the protections and support they require.

Much in this Bill is welcome, yet I fully support the remarks of my right reverend friend the Bishop of Gloucester and others who have noted that it does not yet go far enough, particularly on children, young people and migrant women. It is a cliché to note that these count as some of society’s most vulnerable, but this Bill is meant precisely to provide support to those whom the system is currently failing. If it fails to support the most vulnerable survivors, it is not yet living up to its potential.

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Domestic Abuse Bill: Bishop of Gloucester highlights need to protect women in vulnerable groups

On 5th January 2021, the Bishop of Gloucester spoke at the second reading of the Domestic Abuse Bill, highlighting issues faced by victims of domestic violence in the criminal justice system and the need to protect women and girls across communities:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, I am glad to contribute to this vital debate and I draw attention to my interests as president of the Nelson Trust and as Anglican Bishop to Prisons.

I note three things. First, this is a landmark piece of legislation and reflects good progress. We must ensure that the Bill is as good as it can be for the sake of those at risk of abuse, its victims and survivors. Secondly, work on the task of ending domestic abuse does not end with this legislation. Thirdly, there are issues unresolved in the Bill regarding certain vulnerable groups, some of which have been mentioned. I will highlight just a few in the time I have.

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Bishop of Salisbury asks about tree planting targets

The Bishop of Salisbury received the following written answer on 5th January 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Salisbury asked Her Majesty’s Government, further to the response by Lord Callanan on 14 December (HL Deb, col 1410), what specific steps they are taking to meet their tree planting target for (1) 2020, (2) 2021, and (3) any future years.

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Bishop of Durham asks about review of Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answer on 5th January 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked Her Majesty’s Government whether they have appointed an independent reviewer to carry out a review of the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration; and if not, when such an appointment will be made.

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Archbishop of Canterbury asks about funding for passport checking facilities at the Port of Dover

The Archbishop of Canterbury received the following written answer on 5th January 2021:

The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury asked Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure sufficient funding to enable adequate passport checking facilities at the Port of Dover following the end of the transition period for the UK’s departure from the EU.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about increasing funding for hospice sector

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 5th January 2021:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked  Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to increase the funding that clinical commissioning groups provide to the charitable hospice sector.

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Votes: EU (Future Relationship) Bill

On 30th December 2020 the House of Lords considered the Government’s European Union (Future Relationship) Bill at all stages. Three votes were held on the Bill, in which bishops took part:

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